Maxim Kantor (1957) - painter, writer, philosopher, art historian.

Son of philosopher and design theorist Karl Kantor (born in Argentina, died in Moscow), founder of magazine “Decorative Arts”, and Tatiana Kantor, geneticist.

In 1980 Maxim Kantor graduated from the Moscow State University of Printing Art, and took the role in anti-soviet underground art. Became known as watchful observer of modern society, sharp political critic, but at the same time - as a philosopher interpreting European complex historical process in its basis aesthetic criteria.             

Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford University.  

 Doctor honoris causa of Turin University.

Started to be exhibited in Europe since 1986. Held personal shows in museums around the world, among them: Frankfurt Staedel Museum, Schirn Kunsthalle, Moscow State Tretyakov Gallery, Hannover Sprengel Museum, Bochum Museum, London British Museum, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, Osnabrük Felix Nussbaum Museum, South Australian Gallery, Adelaida, Luxembourg National Museum, Saint-Petersburg State Russian Museum, Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, National Museum in Gdansk, etc.

In 1997 he represented Russia on 47 Biennale d’Arte di Venezia with the personal exhibition “Criminal Chronicle”. 

Collaborated with number of art galleries (Eva Poll, Berlin; Asbaek, Copenhagen; Nierendorf, Berlin; Wittrock Kunsthandel, Dusseldorf-Berlin; Barry Fridman, New York).

Published several novels (Text book of Draving, Red Light, Hazard), translated to German, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, theater plays (staged in Russia), essay books.

Recent volume "Thistle and Thorn" (August 2021) is dedicated to the philosophy of art and social history of Europe,
 based on researches & lecture courses held in Notre Dame University (IN, USA), Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

 Academic of Russian Academy of Art.

As an art printer, in tradition of "livre d'artist" he illustrated Die Hermannsschlaht, The Ballades of Robin Hood, Faust. Author of etching portfolios (Atlases: Wasteland, Metropolis,Vulcanus) purchased by National Libraries of France, Austria, Luxembourg.

His pictures could be also seen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin, Genscher Saal („Library“ and „Storm“); the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Rome; Paris Saint Merry Church; Brussels cathedral; Common Room of Pembroke College of Oxford.

 Executed stained-glass windows for the Moscow City Hospital No. 23.

Since Summer 2020 Maxim Kantor has been working on the of painting cycle for the LSRS Chapel in Luxembourg.

  

Maxim Kantor lives and works in Germany, France and UK.           


ACTIVITIES:

2015-16
Work on the triptych"Adoration of Magi" for Pembroke College, Oxford University

Complete ballads of Robin Hood published in Russian, translated and illustrated by Maxim Kantor

Masks and Faces. The joint music and visual project by Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica Orchestra and Maxim Kantor (Europe, China, USA), 2015-17

since 2014
Adjunct-Professor, Director Fellow of Notre Dame University, Institute for Advanced Study, USA

2014
Artist's book "BALLADS OF ROBIN HOOD" English and Russian Editions, handmade in Reiter-Druck Studio, Berlin
"THE RAPE OF EUROPE" Two-days International Symposium (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies) and exhibition
(
Gallery ART XXI), Geneve

since 2013
Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford
Member of Senior Council, Wolfson College, Oxford
Member of Senior Council, St Antony College, Oxford

Honorary Academic of Russian Academy of Art

2013
Exhibition at Mikhailovskij Zamok, State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, within the frames of II International Cultural Forum
Artist's book "Heinrich von Kleist. Hermannschlacht" German and Russian editions, handmade in Reiter-Druck Studio, Berlin
Solo exhibition ATLANTIS at Palazzo Zenobio, Venice, Italy

2012
Solo exhibition at Marble Palace, State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
Solo exhibition VOLCANO at Fondazione Stelline, Milano
Two-days symposium VOLCANO (co-organised by Department of Politics and International Relations and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University)

2009-2011
Member of Senior Room, Pembroke College, Oxford
Artist in Residence, Political Research Department, Oxford
Visiting fellow, St Antony College, Oxford
Member of Common Room, Wolfson College, Oxford

works on the graphic cycle "VUCANUS.ATLAS": 71 lithos and colour pencils

2010
Maxim Kantor's report at the "Conference on Beauty", Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Studies, USA
The detective stories collection "LONELY SMOKER'S ADVICES" published (in Russian, Moscow, A.S.T.: ASTREL, 2010)

2009
publishes the novel "A CONTRE-PIED" (in russian, Moscow, O.G.I. publishing house)

2007-2008
publishes theatre plays collection "PARTY WITH BABOON" (in Russian, Moscow, OGI, 2007-2008).
plays perfomed by Theatre "Na Yugo-Zapade", Moscow; Comissarzhevskaya Theatre, St.Peterbourg; "Coleso" Theatre, Togliatti
publishes the essay's collection "DEMOCRACY SLOW JAWS" (in Russian, Moscow, AST.: ASTREL, 2008)

'Ten stray dogs' at Sotheby's "Modern and contemporary russian Art"
"Poor People" and "Naked" at Sotheby's "Russian Art Paintings"
"Red Tower" at Sotheby's "Russian Contemporary Sale"

2006
publishes novel "DRAWING TEXTBOOK" (in two vol., in Russian).
Russian National Literature Avard "BigBook" Short-List/2006
1st ed.: Moscow, "O.G.I." publishing house, 2006: 2d ed.: Moscow, "O.G.I.", 2007; 3d ed.: Moscow, AST.ASTREL publishing house, 2008; 4th ed.: in 4 vol., AST.ASTREL, 2009)

2004-2008
European exhibition tour "New Empire": new pictures and graphic cycle of "METROPOLIS.Atlas" in Felix Nussbaum Haus, Osnabruck; Querini Stampalia Fondazione, Venice; Ulster Museum, Belfast; Akademie der Kunste, Berlin; Museum Kuppersmuhle, Duisburg; Galerie Nierendorf, Berlin; Centre Culturel de Rencontre - Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg; Togliatti Museum of Fine Art and Samara Art Museum, Russia; University of Notre Dame's Snite Museum of Art, USA

2001-2003
works on the graphic cycle "METROPOLIS.The Atlas": prints and philosophic essays.

1999-2000
in Artichoke print-studio in London works on the graphic cycle of 70 etchings "Letters from Karakorum", which finally was entitled "WASTELAND. The Atlas": prints and philosophical essays. The book is followed with the exhibition tour in Russia (State Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow; State Primorsky Museum of Art, Vladivostok; Krasnoyarsk Culture and History Museum Complex; Novosibirsk Museum of Fine Art; Tomsk Art Museum; Ekaterinbourg Museum of Fine Art) and "WASTELAND. The Atlas" in the museums all over the world, among them: Staedel Museum, Frankfurt; Culturgest, Lisbon; Ulster Museum, Belfast; South Australian Gallery, Adelaida

1997-1998
the exhibition tour started at the State Pushkin Museum, afterwards presented in Staedel Museum, Frankfurt; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida; Musee d'Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg; Crossman Galery UW-Whitewater (Wisconsin). Born December, 1957, Moscow.

1997
solo exhibition "Criminal chronicle" in the Russian Pavilion at the XLVII Biennale, Venice.

1995-96
retrospective exhibitions in Luxembourg, Berlin and Moscow.

1993
publishes his first collection of short stories "House in the Wasteland".

1987
first exhibitions abroad at Studio Marconi, Milan and Eva Poll Gallery, Berlin. Invited to Germany by Henri Nannen for the first personal exhibition. Since then works in Western Europe, the United States and Moscow. Temporary workshops in Dusseldorf (1988), Frankfurt (1989), Boston (1990), Berlin (1990-92), Hannover (1992). Since 1997 - permanent workshops in Moscow and London.

Since 1984
participates in many non-permitted exhibitions of the Moscow "underground".

1983
organises the independent group of painters that was later called "Krasny Dom" ("Red House"). The group made a number of unofficial, one-day exhibitions, the most famous took place at the Institute of Philosophy, Moscow, 1984.

Since 1980
studio in Triokhprudny Sidestreet, Moscow

1979-1980
studio in Saveljevskij street, 8, Moscow.

1975
accepted in Moscow Art Polygraph Institute; graduates in 1980.


1957
born in Moscow. Father: Karl Kantor, philosopher. Mother: Tatiana Kantor, biologist